


it's pretty obvious that you've got a crush (you know)

by aceofdiamonds



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-06
Updated: 2012-12-06
Packaged: 2017-11-20 12:05:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/585233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aceofdiamonds/pseuds/aceofdiamonds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Niall and Louis go on a date. Except it’s not a date. Not really (It is).</p>
            </blockquote>





	it's pretty obvious that you've got a crush (you know)

“Will you go out with me?”

Louis looks up from his book, startled, and cocks an eyebrow. A slow smirk spreads across his lips, “Are you asking me out, Horan?”

Niall’s bright red in an instant. His forehead right the way down to the small part of his neck that is visible above his t-shirt flushes and he ducks his head in a way that Louis can’t help but find adorable. “N - Not like that, no. Just to the cinema then maybe…”

“Nandos” Louis finishes for him. Niall nods. “Great. The others’ coming?”

“They’re busy.” Niall replies quickly. Too quickly. “Would just be you and me.”

Louis studies his bandmate for a second, taking in his awkward stance with his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his shorts and one leg crossing and un-crossing in front of the other. This, along with the way he phrased the question, has Louis wondering exactly what Niall’s idea for tonight is. He laughs because that thought is ridiculous then gets to his feet and ambles towards the door, chucking his book under the couch for Liam to find and whine over later. “Okay.” he says, ruffling a hand through Niall’s hair affectionately, “It’s a date.”

He winks and walks out the door, certain he’s not imagining the whispered “yes!” that was hastily turned into a cough seconds later. A date with Niall, he muses to himself, climbing the stairs to get ready. Who would’ve thought it?

~

“Where you off to?” A voice behind Louis makes him jump and drop the bottle of aftershave which clatters into the sink. “Aftershave? Is that _Armani_? What’s the special occasion?” Harry teases, slipping an arm round his Louis's shoulders and squeezing softly. 

Louis meets Harry’s eyes in the mirror and smirks, adjusting his collar where Harry had ruffled it and snatching up the glass bottle. “Nialler and I are going out so leave me alone. I need to get ready.” 

“Why wasn’t I invited?” Harry pouts, his head now leaning on Louis’ shoulder and watching as Louis runs a hand through his quiff in an attempt to tame it. 

Louis is wondering the same. Hadn’t Niall said…? “I was told you lot were going out later and Niall had no one else to go with.” He shrugs, then grins at Harry's confused frown. “I take it you aren’t?”

“Nope.” Harry replies, popping the ‘p’. “I think Liam and Zayn are planning on having a horror marathon…” At this, Louis feels a twinge of guilt. He knows how much Harry hates films like that and debates inviting him along, surely Niall wouldn’t mind. 

Just as he opens his mouth however, Harry cuts across him, “No, it’s fine. Honestly. Niall obviously wants you to himself.” Harry grins cheekily. The thought makes Louis blush and his stomach do cartwheels for a reason he doesn’t have the time nor the patience to work out. You’re being ridiculous, Louis chastises himself, you’ve been alone with Niall plenty of times before, why should tonight be any different? “We need to get you looking smart for you and Nialler’s date.” Harry was saying as he bustles round Louis, tucking his shirt into his chinos and tidying the flyaway strands of hair.

“It’s not a date.” Louis states. Because it isn’t. Despite what he’d joked earlier, this was just two friends hanging out. He was over-thinking everything. Right? Harry’s raised eyebrow says different and he goes back to spraying hairspray and aftershave simultaneously whilst muttering about ‘delusional idiots’. Louis has to admit: the boy can multi-task brilliantly. “I’ll suffocate the poor boy.” Louis whines, batting Harry’s hands away as he goes to fix his collar yet again. “I’m _fine_.”

Harry moves away with his arms raised in surrender, “Okay okay. It’s not every day ickle Louis gets a date.” he winks, sending another shiver of anticipation down Louis’ spine which he ignores resolutely and instead glares at Harry. 

“I hope Liam and Zayn make you watch the worst films they can find and then I hope you get nightmares for weeks.” Louis says darkly, both of them knowing full well that he doesn’t mean it. “Fuck, you’ve made me late now with all your fussing and spraying.”

Ducking into the room his room to grab his jacket, Louis leads the way down the stairs with a giggling Harry in tow to where Niall, Liam and Zayn are grouped by the front door. Louis tries to pretend he doesn’t blush when Niall catches sight of him and smiles but from the way Harry is laughing beside him he doesn’t think he was successful. He can’t help it though as his eyes rake over Niall’s black fitted t-shirt and dark jeans, his hair flat but slightly tousled making Louis long to run his hands through it to mess it up even further. 

“Ah, here he is!” Liam calls, slinging an arm round Zayn’s shoulders and pulling him out of the way. Niall hits Liam on the arm then grins up at Louis who had stumbled to a halt on the middle of the stairs, nearly tumbling down them when Harry gives him a ‘helpful’ push. “Excited, Lou? Niall is.”

“Fuck off.” Niall whines, flushing scarlet in front of Louis for the second time that day. Again, Louis finds it adorable and doesn't stop to think about why the whole band are gathered to see them off when just last night Louis and Harry disappeared for hours and no one batted an eyelid. “You ready Lou?”

“Yeah, come on.” The quicker they’re away from the rest of them the better, Louis thinks as he grabs Niall’s hand and pulls him out the door, a chorus of cat-calls and wolf-whistling following them. 

“Have fun on your date!” Zayn calls, Harry’s dirty laugh loud above it. 

"Not a date!" Louis shouts back, just to keep on top of things. 

~

Niall gets the biggest popcorn and Louis insists they split the price because _it's not a date_ , remember. Their hands keep bumping when they reach for it and when Louis grabs Niall's hand and holds it for the rest of the film it's only because he wants at least a handful of popcorn and Niall keeps stealing it all. Honestly. It’s automatic for Niall to throw an arm round Louis's shoulders. The same way it's only natural for Louis to curl into Niall's shoulder when there's a gory scene that his stomach can't handle. He feels Niall's hand come up to stroke his neck and grins into Niall's shirt. 

Louis gets lost halfway through the film and amuses himself, instead, by drawing patterns on Niall’s forearm making him giggle not-so-quietly which earns them plenty of dirty looks from the rows in front. Louis decides it’s worth it and continues until Niall laughs so loud they get asked to leave by a security guard who’s clearly not a fan. 

~

“Sorry for getting us kicked out.” Louis offers Niall an apologetic smile which is waved off with a grin and a giggle. 

“Nah, the film was kinda shit anyway.” Niall picks at his chips, Louis watching on mesmerised as his long, pale fingers pick off the skin then crumble the soft potato between his fingers unaware of his audience. Louis jerks as if he’s been punched when Niall glances up and catches him watching, offering the destroyed chip out to him. "Wasn't it?" 

“Yeah. We would make better actors and that's saying something.” Louis says and Niall laughs loudly. "That new one with... uh what's her name? She was in Twilight a bit?" 

"Anna Kendrick?"

"That's the one! That one looks good." Louis could suggest they go see that together but he doesn't know if this is a one off thing or not. “You want ice-cream?” He nods his head in the direction of the waitress who is making her way over to them. 

“Okay.” Niall smiles lazily making Louis’ heart do that jumpy thing it’s been doing all night. He distracts himself by ordering two double scoops - chocolate for Niall, mint choc chip for himself - and smiles charmingly at the girl who blushes and smiles back nervously as she collects up their plates and tells them their desserts will be right over. “Take your time.” Niall tells her and Louis swears her knees tremble against the table before she steadies herself and walks away quickly; Louis knows she’s dying to get her phone out to text her friends about who she just served. 

“Take your time?” Louis repeats, lifting an eyebrow. “S’not like you to be patient where food is involved.”

Niall glares at him without any heat then sighs and leans further across the table so their noses are almost touching. Somewhere in the back of his head Louis can hear Paul rhyming off his many warnings about what's appropriate in public and what isn't and Louis thinks this must be on the list somewhere because they can't look platonic to an outsider. Fuck it. 

“I just -” Niall begins, stopping and biting his lip, suddenly looking nervous. “We don't spend enough time together, just the two of us. And I thought we should fix that. So, I thought tonight would be nice and…well…I wanted to keep it going as long as possible.” Niall turns red for what feels like the twentieth time that night which Louis is still finding cute when he really shouldn’t. 

It takes all of Louis’s willpower to stop himself leaning those two centimetres further forward and kissing Niall right there and then, and what, where did that come from. This _isn't_ a date and he does _not_ like Niall like that. 

Okay, maybe he does. Maybe it's been building up for a while and now he has Niall sitting in front of him with tomato sauce on his cheek and all his attention on Louis and it's kind of impossible to ignore the way he's been feeling any more. 

"Tonight's been great." he says with a smile, linking their fingers on the table.

“We should do this again some time.” Niall says shyly just as the ice-cream arrives. Niall’s clichéd words along with the spoonful of chocolate ice cream that is shoved in his mouth seal the deal for Louis. 

~

Niall manages to pull it off as casual but Louis’ been watching him carefully out the corner of his eye the whole way home and knows he’s been building up the courage to slip his hand into Louis’ ever since they left the restaurant. He bites back the teasing comment and instead wraps his fingers around Niall’s, his own feeling overly hot against Niall's. Their hands swing gently between them as they stroll along the street in the late summer sunshine to where their house sits at the end, the conversation flowing easily between band talk and nonsense, laced with gentle flirting. 

Louis’ steps slow sub-consciously as the building approaches and notices Niall does the same, neither of them wanting the night to end yet. All too soon they’re reaching the concrete path that leads to the front door and Louis’ run out of things to talk about. He glances at Niall and bites his lip hopefully when he sees Niall frowning, planning out his next move. 

Half knowing what it is and half hoping he’s right, Louis tugs on Niall’s hand making them both stop just in front of the door and turns so his back is to it, facing Niall full-on. He studies the boy in front of him for a moment, wondering if this is a wise move when Niall suddenly lurches forward and there are lips on Louis’s and yes, this is definitely the right move. Louis’ hands move to Niall’s shoulders to pull him closer as Niall’s winds in his hair, turning his head to a better angle. His brain surges into overdrive as he struggles to take everything in at once: the way Niall’s tongue is tracing his bottom lip; the slightly calloused fingers that he’s watched all evening now scratching against his scalp; the quiet whimpers from Niall. 

Taking charge, Louis bites gently on Niall’s full bottom lip making him groan and his fingers slip in Louis’ hair, moving to grasp his waist instead. Louis reluctantly pulls away from Niall’s mouth and trails smudged kisses along Niall’s jaw line up to his earlobe where he nibbles it gently; Niall whines. 

“I like you.” Louis whispers breathlessly into Niall’s ear. Because it’s true. He’s been pushing away the evidence all night but now Niall’s panting hard against his neck and his hands are approaching the waistband of his boxers and if making out in the street doesn’t prove you like someone, Louis doesn’t know what does. "Quite a lot, actually."

At his words, Niall makes a happy little sigh that Louis would happily replay over and over again if he could and draws his head back to press another kiss to Louis’ lips. He cradles Louis's face, treating him like he's the most delicate thing in the world, even though he knows he's anything but. It’s gentle and sweet and if Louis strains he can hear fireworks in the background as their lips move together softly. 

Niall pulls back and rests his forehead on Louis's so their eyes meet. “I really like you too.” The confession has Louis’ heart skittering and he can’t help the goofy grin that leaks past his lips, Niall mirroring it back to him. 

Louis eventually pulls away but keeps his hand entwined with Niall’s as he pushes open the front door and leads the way into the living room where the other three are gathered on the couch with what looks like _Scream_ playing. It’s near the end and Harry’s face is deathly white above the blanket he’s clutching tightly. 

Winking at Niall who knows exactly what he’s going to do, Louis drops his hand then creeps further into the room. The film’s at the perfect point with Ghostface hovering behind a corner waiting for his next victim to fall stupidly into his trap. Louis times his plan to the second, the girl is getting closer and Harry lets out a small whimper of fear. Three…two…one…”AARGHH”

Harry’s body leaves the couch and lands on the floor, his chest heaving and his mouth moving wordlessly as he looks round for his attacker. Catching sight of Louis bent over behind the couch with silent giggles and Niall skulking at the doorway, his laughs not as silent, Harry glares and pouts. It doesn’t get the desired effect with Liam and Zayn laughing too once they've recovered from the shock. 

“I fucking hate you, Louis Tomlinson.” Harry moans loudly, crossing his arms across his chest and attempting to keep a straight face. 

“Nice one, Lou. Well done.” praises Liam, wiping away his tears.

Louis bows and smirks at Harry who has gone back to glaring at him threateningly, knowing he’ll have to sleep with one eye open tonight. “Thank you, Mr Payne. I do try.”

“How was your date?” Harry asks, not able to resist asking how it had gone, mood or not. “Oh wait. I’m sorry. It wasn’t a date was it?” 

“Our date was great thanks.” Louis beams, throwing them all off guard. “Wasn’t it, Nialler?”

Niall moves into the room long enough to grab Louis’ hand and pull him gently. “The best.” he calls over his shoulder. “It’s not finished yet though.”

Louis winks at the three left in the living room then allows himself to be pulled up the stairs, passing by his room and into Niall’s. He quirks an eyebrow at Niall who is grinning at him cheekily. “On the first date? Slut.” But he’s propelling Niall towards the bed as he says it. 

“Oh, shut up.” Niall mumbles against his mouth, his hands already moving to the hem of Louis's top. “It’s not like we don’t know each other.”

“Mmm. I love your logic.” Louis replies, tugging Niall’s t-shirt over his head and running his hand down the contours of his abs making Niall sigh softly. “You know, this could be the best date I’ve ever been on.”

“Same. Now shut up and kiss me.” 

Louis kisses him, hard. It's pretty perfect. 

~

The others don’t click onto their secret till their fourth date where they kiss in the back of the car on the way back from a performance. It’s accepted without a murmur although Louis could’ve lived without the not-so-subtle innuendoes slipped in at the next few interviews. 

Their twentieth date is the one where Niall blurts out their relationship to their families, when they're all gathered after a big win at the BRITS. Harry's mum makes a couple of joking comments about how she thought she would be the one getting Louis as a son-in-law but everyone says how happy they are for them, and don't they look good together. When everyone's going their separate ways Jay pulls Louis to the side and tells him she can see how happy Niall makes him and that she's happy for him too. 

They decide to go public on their one hundredth. This time it’s more business than pleasure but Louis claims it counts as they squash onto the sofa on ‘This Morning’. Louis blurts it out when Holly Willoughby’s halfway through a question and they all laugh, treating it as a joke, because it's just One Direction, the pranksters of the music industry who are so close it's sort of scary. It’s not until Philip stops that he notices Louis’ telling the truth, Niall’s hand wrapped tightly around his own with matching nervous smiles. The papers and majority of the fans are ecstatic and Niall and Louis are called into an emergency meeting at Syco’s headquarters. Louis likes to call it date number one hundred and one. Niall doesn’t. 

Date number three hundred and seventy two. Otherwise known as The Big One. They’ve been together just over two years when Niall tells Louis he has a surprise for him. Louis allows himself to be blind-folded for half an hour with Niall giggling nervously beside him the whole way there. He’s not expecting it in the slightest when he pulls the material off to reveal his boyfriend balancing on one knee, a hopeful grin on his face and a simple question falling from his lips. 

After he accepts and Niall is kissing him softly, both of them grinning against the other's mouth, Louis wonders if he should stop counting their dates now. 


End file.
